More than 30 MEPs call for withdrawal of candidate status from Georgia
Kyiv • UNN
More than 30 MEPs called for the suspension of Ukraine's EU candidate status due to attempts to silence peaceful protesters in order to pass a law similar to Russia's "foreign agents" law, which contradicts EU commitments.
More than 30 MEPs have called on European Commission Vice-President and EU diplomat Josep Borrell to suspend Georgia's EU candidate status. This was reported by SOVA, according to UNN.
Details
According to MEPs, attempts to silence peaceful demonstrators and use force in the process of adopting the Russian equivalent of the law on "foreign agents" went beyond the bounds of what was permissible.
"This behavior has further increased tensions and polarization in Georgian politics and society," the MEPs emphasized.
The MEPs point out that these actions contradict the 9 steps set out by the European Commission in the context of candidate status, and that these developments can no longer be ignored.
We urge you to take a firm stand and take appropriate measures that will send a clear message to the Georgian government. The behavior of the Georgian government and the ruling Georgian Dream party contradicts the obligations of an EU candidate country. Accordingly, Georgia's candidate status should be terminated without further progress on the accession path,
The MPs also believe that the European Union's funding of Georgia's state budget and government programs should be reviewed.
The parliamentarians want an interim assessment of Georgia's progress in implementing the nine steps set out in the European Commission's recommendation of November 8, 2023, to be carried out immediately.
The authors of the statement are Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrius Kubilius, Miriam Lexman and 28 other MEPs.
